“It all started with the wallpaper,” says designer Keith Carroll. “When I saw it, I was intrigued. It looked very traditional but upon closer look was quite out there!” The Scalamandré “Chien de Pompeii” wallpaper in buttercream adorns what Carroll calls “the bedroom of world travelers with great taste.”

Wrapped in a hand-blocked linen fabric with red flowers, the guest bedroom features a French Suite that includes a settee and matching chairs. The paper-backed fabric is a Jim Thrope antique hand-print.

A floral paper in green and metallic gold directs the palette in this bedroom. The Brewster paper is from designer Jack Pole’s unique wallpaper boutique, wallpaperyourworld.com, which offers timeless designs in a sustainable format.

“When I saw the Lulu DK embroidered animal print, I knew I had to cover the walls with that,” says interior designer Carla Lane. The playful fabric became the springboard for this blue-and-green nursery.

Dramatic, shimmery, hand-painted wallpaper from de Gournay is the star of this elegant dining room. Design tip: Make the most of a wallpaper’s background. The light and airy base color plays up reflective accessories that enhance its luxurious shimmer.

In her room at the 2011 Holiday House Designer Showcase, Eileen Kathryn Boyd digitally printed a lavender watercolor for use as a serene and spellbinding wall covering. “Because the architecture is all squares and panels, I wanted to overlay it with something organic that had movement and flow,” she explains.

In the butler’s pantry, patterned wallpaper from Meg Braff Designs packs a punch. “I liked the idea of something nautical and summery yet sophisticated,” says Braff. “I love adding pattern to the walls when there is little other decorative interest in the room.”

The large dining room is all about high drama and fun. Using overscaled elements—a herringbone wallpaper by Idarica Gazzoni, a Swedish-style carved mirror, and a large antique dining table—sets a lively mood for parties.